The common man etched a special place in our hearts.

R.K. Laxman is a name that most Indians are familiar with. Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Laxman or R.K. Laxman was known for his common man and daily cartoon strip in The Times of India from the year 1951. A self-taught artist, his satire on politics and his answer to anything under the sun carved a special place in the heart of his most loyal readers. He created some of the iconic sketches of our times, such as Malgudi Days illustration and Asian Paints mascot “Gattu”. He was awarded the Magsaysay Award and Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibushan for his unparallel contribution as a cartoonist. Here are some of the life lessons we learnt from the life of the master himself.

There is something extraordinary in the ordinary.

In his younger years, Laxman was very fond of collecting whatever catches his eyes, like empty boxes of chocolate, spare parts of a bicycle, toy cars that were broken. He loved doing whatever was prohibited, like drawing on the wall, sitting on a mango tree all day with his siblings. He even went to school later than his peers and then fell in love with the school, so much so that he even went to school on a Sunday! This teaches us the importance of ordinary and enjoy whatever makes you happy.

Observation is a great skill.

R.K Laxman is known for his great observation skill, which hugely influenced his work and, most importantly, influenced his common man. Everyone related to the common man; he was everyone and anyone. In his own words, he said that he often drew the objects he usually sees outside his window like crows, dry leaves, twigs, servants chopping woods etc. No wonder we all so related to everything he illustrated.

Success is not defined with degrees and fancy names

R.K. Laxman once famously remarked that he still does not possess his bachelor’s degree, and that is probably in the dusty cupboard of the Mysore University registrar. He never felt the need for fancy names and degrees to define him or his work. Do you know the most celebrated illustrator was once rejected from Sir J.J School of Arts? The reason? He was told that he possessed no talent for drawing! Laxman never let that pull him back. He became the legend and was invited to the same institution as a chief guest years later, where he narrated this anecdote to audiences.

Though R.K Laxman passed away in the year 2015, his legacy will continue to live in our hearts forever.